It was ten minutes to 8 in the morning. I was reading a few notes I always kept with me, sitting in the Rec Hall at the school sector of Terra Doma. I had a slight headache, but I had gotten used to that, as being a few thousand feet under the surface does that to you every now and then. I looked around the hall, then decided to stand up and go talk to a few friends, starting with two of my best ones, A Jolteon named Evan Galloway and a Short-haired Zoroark named Shane Rosario. Shane's atypical appearance is his trademark, as he keeps anything that gets in his way while fighting cut down to shoulder length. Honestly, Not a bad idea. "Rico! My dude! What's up?" Evan, as hyper and energetic as always, was practically jumping around when he saw me. Then again, he's an electric type. He's always charged up, no pun intended. "Hey Ev. Just... Nothing. Nothing at all." I lied. "You're a terrible liar." Shane's voice interjected. Shane didn't talk much. He preferred to keep to himself. I haven't seen his sister Emily ever since they locked up my twin brother, a purple Lucario named Lukarin. "How's Em?" I ask Shane, trying to change the subject. "She's managing just fine. Now have you heard anything about Luke?" The Zoroark glared at me. It was clear that today was not the day to run any bullshit by him. "I'm heading to talk to him later." I admitted, looking for my other brother in the crowd. "I saw him with Kiro." Evan piped in. I thanked them and went to find my little brother, AJ. 

I saw Kiro, the Gallade Evan mentioned, in a sparring match with a Midday Lycanroc, another good friend of mine named Logan Balor. Kiro was our "MMA fighter" kind of guy. He was quick on his feet and he hits hard and hits often. Not easy to beat one on one in a fair fight. Logan is... well, special. Being a Lycanroc, a rock type pokemon, Logan can control earth. Kind of like an earthbender (Don't ask, we have lots of downtime and over 50 year old TV shows). Logan prefers to lure you in before suddenly ending the fight with one move. I approached them, stepping in between them, catching both of their punches. "Time out. Need you both for a moment." I grinned. Sure, they were good... But they're not me. Cocky thing to say? Sure. Can I back it up? Oh hell yes. "Whatcha need, Rhodie?" Kiro pulled his fist back, keeping his eyes locked on Logan. "AJ. You seen him?" My question caused both mons to laugh. "What?" They clearly knew something I didn't. "Ari McAleister." They said in unison. I should've known something was up. Arianna McAleister was AJ's best friend. She also told me, and I'm the only one who she's confirmed it for me, that she had a large crush on AJ. Everyone else just thinks it's a rumor. "Of course. I should've known..." I let them get back to their match, trying to find the Dusk Lycanroc who, in all likelihood, was with AJ.

I didn't have to look very far, as she found me. Ari was sprinting to me, frantically saying words I couldn't make out. "Ari, slow down. What's wrong?" After she took a few deep breaths, she calmly said "AJ's in a fight with some mon." Immediately, I casually walked over to the scene, where I pushed through the ring of spectators. AJ, a Riolu, was fighting a Hitmonlee. AJ had his ankle raised, and he looked like he was trying to cleanly break it. AJ's opponent was screaming in pain, but couldn't break the hold AJ had on his ankle. I stepped into the circle, tapping AJ on the shoulder. "Time to stop." I whispered. AJ scoffed and let go of his ankle. "Time to see Luke?" He tilted his head, smiling innocently as if he hadn't just been trying to break some mon's ankle. I nod, but AJ's eyes looked behind me. Without looking behind me, I stepped into a high kick that landed square on the Hitmonlee's Jaw, effectively dropping his ass to the floor. After he hit the ground, a knife clattered to the floor. "Bastard was trying to take a cheap shot." A spectator yelled. I shrugged and took AJ away from the crowd, heading towards the jail sector. Luke was the main reason AJ liked fighting so much. Sure, I'm good at it, but Luke would issue open challenges. For the past year, he accepted multiplr fights every day. Never once did he admit defeat or have a timr where he wasn't standing over his opponent. The guy just simply didn't lose. Luke fought over 2000 matches, over 2000 wins. They arrested him after his most recent match was a grudge match, where the other fighter drew a knife, which stabbed his leg when Luke disarmed him and instinctively incapacitated him. Fist fights, those are allowed. Use of weapons? That's a felony in Terra Doma. Luke's instincts, reflexes, and all around dismantle opponents were unmatched. Naturally, AJ takes after his fighting style. 

We arrive at the prison visitation block, where Luke was waiting on the other side of a triple layered plexiglass wall. "You're late." His low, edgy voice startled AJ. Luke's gaze fixed on me. His eyes had once been powder blue, but they had grown to a darker shade ever since his lock-up. "Sorry. This one got in another brawl." I nudged AJ, who bit his lip nervously. "You win, Kiddo?" Luke knelt down to ask. AJ nodded, which made my brother smile. "I taught you well." I gulped, knowing Luke's mind had been left to its own devices for the past month. "Any word on the vote?" I ask, getting straight to the point. "Yeah. 10 to 1, in favor of Surface." I bit my lower lip and nodded. I knew this was coming. He allegedly assaulted someone with a weapon, labeling him as a danger to society. AJ looked shell shocked. Luke was his idol. He may as well have been a god to the kid. "Are you gonna die, Luke?" AJ asked, tears forming. "Die? Hell, when I get up there, I'll either go out in a Blaze of Glory or I'll live forever." He confidently smirked, reaching forward and touching the glass, meeting AJ's paw, as if trying to comfort him. "I promise you, You'll see me again, AJ. You should go now. Rico and I need to talk in private." Luke gave one last slight smile, which was the first time he'd done so. Sure he smirks and grins, but usually that involves something he says or does. Luke almost never just smiles to brighten someone's mood. Actually, this was a first for me to see. AJ wiped his eyes and walked out of the room, leaving me and Luke alone.

"So why the secrecy?" I ask, pacing the room slowly. "You need to know something. I didn't stab that guy. I was attempting to disarm him and he fell over, but he fell right on the knife. It was an accident. They didn't arrest me for that." After his explanation, I began pacing faster. "What? Why'd they do this then?!" I thought to myself. "Luke, what possibly could you..." I dismissed my questions in my thoughts, but he answered right away. "I know something that could cause anarchy." I stop pacing. I turn and locked eyes with my brother. "That being...?" He shook his head and facepalmed. "Remember Jared Rhodes?" He asks, and I nod. "Of course." "Well, I remember Mom saying he found two ruptured tanks of Oxygen, leaving us with about ten and a half years left of breathable oxygen. And this was ten years ago." Luke crossed his arms, Growing more frustrated with the confused look on my face. "So the council voted, Nine to Zero with two abstainers." I knew who. "Amber and Darr... Chairman Paulson, right?" Luke nodded, and continued. "They decided to send to the surface those who were deemed unsafe to society by the council. They're willing to Surface anyone who threatens their utopia, their hold on power down here. They think it's all desolate up there. I don't think it is. I think Jared's alive somewhere. If he can survive ten years up there, Why can't I survive too?" Luke confidently, yet seriously asked me. 
"He's been gone so long that I think you forget 'Jared' is also our father, Luke. And his Wife and best friend had to abstain from voting as they knew there was no keeping him down here." Yes, it's true, Jared Rhodes is our dad. Amber, our mother, has had the worst of it as a council member, scientist, and doctor. She was always so busy and stressed, yet Dad was always her way of escaping that. Then we came along and the three of us were her pride and joy. Do I miss him? For sure. "If you find him, tell him we're alright." I sighed. Luke nodded, and a knock came from Luke's side of the cell. "Time's up!" a guard said. I panicked. "I'll tell anyone I need to, just..." He cut me off. "No. Don't let anyone know I told you." He growled at me. I nod as a guard takes him away. 

I turn and exit the visitation room and head down the long hallway from the prison. Upon coming back to the main concourse, I almost ran over a pink Lucario, who recognized me immediately. "Rico! Hey! What're you doing way over here? I didn't think you'd be the type of guy who ditches classes..." she giggled in a somewhat cute way, but I didn't think much of it. "Cairo, I just have a lot on my mind, ok?" I walked right past her, only for her to jog after me, concerned in her voice. "What's wrong, bud? You can tell me." Cairo Torres has been a great friend of mine ever since High school. She's just so bubbly and charismatic. I've never met one mon who hates her. Ok, I'll admit, she's cute. But hey, everyone else thinks so too. She tends to come off as generally flirtatious towards anyone She's got like ten guys asking her out every week. Yet, she's always said no, no matter how hard they tried. For such a flirty girl, you'd think she would have a boyfriend by now. "No, I really can't!" I raised my voice, which only made her more concerned. "Rico!" She wouldn't take no for an answer. So I began to pick up speed. Soon enough, I was running. After a little while, I saw her take a wrong turn, so I stopped. 

"Why now? Why?!" I muttered, breathing heavily. There was a noise that sounded like a yelp coming from down the hall. "Probably just nothing." I thought, so I took another few minutes. My curiosity got the better of me, so I peeked around the corner. No one was there. Something on the ground caught my eye. Something shiny. I jogged over to it. It was a necklace made of a thin, but strong silver wire, and immediately, I felt more regret than any other time in my life. There were three small stones in a metal circle, one a diamond, one ruby, one sapphire. I knew I had messed up big time. Why? I found those stones in a now closed down cave 4 years ago. And I gave this to Cairo two years ago for her 16th birthday.

This may have been a bit slow for some or a bit rushed for others. Most of my current ideas are coming in later chapters, so as of now I'm Just writing my ideas to bridge the gap between ideas. Chapters 2 and 3 are currently in the works while I have outlines for as far as chapter 6 drafted. As you can see, I'm overly dedicated to this story. Also be warned, there are lots of main characters, and KEY CHARACTERS WILL DIE. You have been warned. Adios amigos!

-RicoTheLegend